Oquirrh Mountain Temple Dedication

Today, I got to take my family to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication. That was a very special occasion, and very spiritual. I found it very interesting, however to notice what touched me the most.

There were probably five speakers before the dedicatory prayer, and even though they were excellent speakers, I honestly don't remember a thing any of them said. I do know that they all talked about the temple.

What got to me was the music. There was a small choir (they couldn't fit many people into the temple chapel), but they sang well, and with real enthusiasm as well as reverence. And, at the end, after the Hosanna Shout, when we sang "The Spirit of God", I choked up a couple of times, and couldn't go on singing. It's a powerful hymn, for a powerful setting.



Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: Dutch Oven Mushrooms Bellagio at my Birthday DOG, Riffz iz cool,

Socialism? Mormonism?

I'm getting bombarded by lots of emails, facebook postings, etc. decrying the evils of socialism. They are warning me of the downfall of this great nation and end of the constitution.

That may well be. I'm not fully convinced, but I'm not decided yet, either.

What worries me is some of the rhetoric being thrown around by a lot of the church members I'm hearing. They're all supported by this quote, or that wise and pithy saying.

I know I'm going to catch &@%$ for saying this, but I think that every Mormon should take a moment, open up their Book of Mormon, and their other scriptures, and read these verses:

Alma 30:17 The gospel of Self-Sufficiency, as taught by Korihor. That's right. The BAD guy.

Moses 7:18 In Zion, there are no poor.

And here's the really scary one: How about reading the entire book of 4th Nephi? I put particular emphasis on verses 3, and 25 (well, really 24-26).

Now, if you want to, you can all post angry comments, and tell me how that's not what those verses mean, and that's not what's happening in today's world, and you may even be right. Honestly, I think there are serious problems with socialism, capitalism, and communism. All I'm asking is that before you scream about welfare states, and before you vote to cut funding for the poor and the disabled and the elderly (they don't really need it anyway), read those verses. And then read them again.

Then you can come back and flame me.


Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: New Song! "The Third Time"

The Best of Mo' Boy: Music, Arts

Anyone that knows me knows that I'm pretty passionate about music, and LDS music (and other arts) in particular. I love to follow LDS popular culture and see what we can create. Sometimes it's great, other times, not so much. But I don't even mind. We need it all, and we all need to participate to the extent that we can.

• Some reminiscences and comments on my musical influences.
• Why we Mormons should sing our hymns.
• Should I sing to Mormons or sing to the world?
• And should artists sing for their audience or for themselves?
• My thoughts on Spencer W Kimball's Gospel Vision for the Arts.
• "Come. Come Ye Saints" is one of the greatest Mormon hymns of all time!
• "The Sun Shone Through the Windows" is one of my more haunting songs.

The Songs of Zion: Reviews of some of my favorites

• Matt Whitney
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir on MP3
• LDS Rapper TJ Fredette
• Sam Payne "Live"
• Clayton Pixton's "Hymns Anew"
• Doug Erekson "Backporch Believer"

Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.


Mark's Other Blog Posts: Blogging Ideas, Dutch Oven Chile Verde, Mixing "The Third Time"